Where Miami should go for a Satellite Camp

In case you missed it, the NCAA rescinded their decision to ban all satellite camps earlier this afternoon.

DI Board overturns satellite camp ban and asks Council to review football recruiting process: https://t.co/3BmADgFPIA

— NCAA (@NCAA) April 28, 2016

Alex Kirschner from SBNation wrote that this is a good thing for everybody. You can read that article in the sidebar, but I agree with that statement, and the related content, wholeheartedly.

Moving the focus to the Miami Hurricanes, satellite camps are something that this staff can use to great effect in recruiting as we move forward. Whether hosting their own Miami-run camp, or being guest coaches at another team's already scheduled camp, this is a great way for Canes Coaches to get a firsthand look at players outside of the South Florida area.

To that end, here are my top 5 locations, in order, that Miami should look to go to for a satellite camp:

1. Atlanta

Georgia has always been a haven for Miami to find talent in recruiting. It is a neighboring State to Florida, and the available talent is among the best in the country. On top of that, Miami has traditionally sent out the most out-of-state scholarship offers to players from Georgia. I foresee that trend continuing, and the connection to those players being raised with this satellite camp location.

With Mark Richt's connection to the State of Georgia from his time as the Head Coach at UGA, this location almost makes too much sense. But, sometimes the most obvious answers are the right ones. This is no-brainer for me. Schedule it now.

2. Orlando

I know this isn't what you were expecting to see, but give me a chance to explain: The main goal of a satellite camp is to get more exposure and evaluate the players in that given area. A mini-major recruiting area just hours up the road, Orlando is the prefect place for Miami to do this. And, given it's central location, an Orlando camp could conceivably pull players from Tampa and Jacksonville (and even Tallahassee and South Georgia too).

This would be a prime location for a satellite camp, and could give Miami more of a connection to the Central Florida area, where there have been some recruiting wins in recent years, but not as many as we may have hoped for.

3. New Orleans

This is in the same vein as the Atlanta site for me. Wealth of talent, coaches who have been recruiting that area for years (Richt, Diaz, Kuligowski), and a history of Canes coming from that area (Ed Reed, Stan Dobard, Gerald Willis, others). This would maybe yield lower numbers of players to pick Miami than the first two sites, but the quality would undoubtedly be high.

And, Miami starting this camp and pulling players from the NOLA area would be nearly the inverse of teams who come to South Florida and recruit kids to play. It would shift the talent base slightly, which could have interesting ramifications down the line, particularly for, say, LSU, who for YEARS has gotten anybody they want in-state, with very, VERY, few exceptions.

4. Dallas or Houston (coach's pick)

Basically, this is "Miami needs to have a satellite camp in Texas". I could be talked into either Dallas or Houston for the location, but I would lean towards Dallas if there was a camp in New Orleans so as to hopefully draw a different talent pool, not just a kid who wants to be seen twice (although those are nice too).

Everything's bigger in Texas (or so the saying goes) and this satellite camp could be massive. Like, MASSIVE. And, again, Miami now has coaches who have recruited this area for years and the talent base in this location could fill needs (DT, OL, QB) that the SoFLA area cannot.

5. Los Angeles

You knew this one was coming. Miami has had some good success recruiting California in recent years, with franchise QB Brad Kaaya being the prize gem of those recruiting efforts. By having a satellite camp in LA, Miami could get a closer connection to one of the largest recruiting hotbeds in America, and hopefully pull some more talent to wear the Orange and Green.

Not only could the Los Angeles satellite camp be a good way to get a look at prospects from SoCal, it could also prove to be good as a regional camp. Many camps in California are attended by prospects from other states in the western part of the country, and being able to see those players at the LA satellite camp would be a bonus.

BONUS PICK: Washington, D.C.

This would be the most "regional" location of the ones listed, but could be a great fit. With many of the Mid-Atlantic's best players living within 2 hours of D.C., this could expose Miami to a wealth of talent in a variety of areas. Maryland-based players, Virginia-based players, and even those who are from D.C proper.

Add in the fact that Ohio, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas aren't too far away, this could be a major location from which Miami could do some very good and targeted national recruiting. I'm here for it.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think that Miami would be wise to start working on at least a couple satellite camps. If you run a full camp in a location, that would be preferable. But, like I said, they could split the staff to "work" at somebody else's already-scheduled camp. Either way, I want to see the Canes take advantage of this recruiting rule while it's favorable for them to do so.

Now, on the other side of the coin is this: South Florida is WITHOUT A DOUBT the richest, most fertile recruiting hotbed in America. That much is true beyond any dissension. Miami already has camps scheduled for the late spring/summer, where the goal will be to get a look at as many SoFLA players as possible, and build connections with them. That's not going to go away, it shouldn't go away, and nobody is saying that it should.

HOWEVER, taking advantage of the NCAA's decision to reinstate satellite camps is something Miami could benefit from immediately and in the future. South Florida players are great, and should be the foundation of this roster (Mark Richt has said about 90% of this staff's recruiting will be focused locally). That doesn't mean Miami shouldn't at least LOOK at players from other places.

If a satellite camp in one of my previously-listed locations ends up with Miami signing 2 guys from that area a year, would that be worth it? Depending on the players, I would say yes. And, when you have a recruiting presence in an area, maybe that doesn't pay off in year 1, but if a 5-star player decides to come to Miami from Atlanta based on the satellite camp after 4 years of Miami having been there, recruited there, and build the brand there, then the previous time spent is well worth it, in my humble opinion.

In the end, Miami is selling beautiful Coral Gables, a program that has had the most 1st round draft picks of any school since 2000, has been named NFLU multiple times, and much more. That package has gotten many players from South Florida to call The U home over the course of history. Now, it's time to take the show on the road and get guys from other locations to do the same.

Love it? Hate it? Want to talk about it? Leave a comment below and keep the conversation going.

Go Canes